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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/30045678">Brainwashed</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/JMount74/pseuds/JMount74'>JMount74</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Thunderbirds</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Gen, Mentions of Concussion, Mind Control, mentions of strangulation</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-03-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-16 02:08:15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,754</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/30045678</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/JMount74/pseuds/JMount74</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>A simple rescue results in two missing brothers. With the Hood at large, and a new team working with him, it becomes a race to stop him and find them.</p><p>TOS-verse</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Gone</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>For the Thunderbirds by Numbers prompt: Scott and John are brainwashed and instructed to fight each other. What happens? Can Alan snap them out of it in time, or do the other two turn on him? Thank you, Tsari, for a great prompt.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Gordon groaned. It felt like a ton of bricks had fallen on him. Since when did waking up cause so much pain? Moving hurt, so for a moment he just lay there, hoping that none of his brothers – Virgil – would recognise that he was possibly sickening for something.</p>
<p>It was the voice from above him that made him frown. Had he slipped into one of his brothers beds? He didn’t think so, and he sure as hell knew no-one else would be sharing his bed. Then a hand slapped down on his shoulder, and Gordon knew he needed to open his eyes.</p>
<p>That took more effort than it should, and when he did open them he found burnt brown ones staring back at his. Damn, his tired brain supplied, the one brother I didn’t want to find me. ‘I should be offended by that comment,’ Virgil replied, making Gordon realise he’d spoken that out loud.</p>
<p>‘Wha’ happ’n?’ Gordon frowned, what was wrong with his head. ‘A ton of bricks fell on you. You’re gonna have a hell of a concussion. Explains the talking out loud, Fish.’ Huh. So a ton of bricks did fall on his head then. Wait – did that mean.. ‘Yes, we’re out on a rescue.’ He groaned again.</p>
<p>‘Wha’ ev’ry on’?’ Virgil chuckled. He was well versed in concuss-ese, and answered without hesitation: ‘Scott and John are on the other side of the site. Yeah, it’s that big of a disaster that Scott’s joined in too. But we’re just about done here, you just got caught in the last gasp of the building. Come on, let’s get you to the infirmary once I’ve finished checking you over.’</p>
<p>Gordon checked out fine apart from several gashes and a lump on his head. He was going to have a hell of a concussion for several days, but all in all, he’d been lucky. So very lucky, Virgil sighed to himself, as he strapped Gordon onto a stretcher. Everyone had been evacuated, it was just clearing away their equipment. Time to get John and Scott and leave.</p>
<p>Virgil raised his wrist and called his brothers, frowning when there was no response. ‘Scott, John? Where are you? We’re ready to go.’ No reply. The frown became deeper. ‘Thunderbird Five, come in please.’ There was a pause, then Alan’s voice came over the line. ‘Reading you clear, Thunderbird Two. Everything alright?’ Virgil sighed.</p>
<p>‘I can’t get hold of Scott or John.’ </p>
<p>Up on Five, Alan frowned to himself and tried to boost the signals. Nothing. That was odd. He’d not that long ago spoken to Scott who said they were about to start wrapping things up. ‘Thunderbird Two, come in please.’ Virgil appeared. ‘Go ahead, Thunderbird Five.’ Alan sighed. ‘I’ve had no luck reaching either Scott or John. What do you want me to do now, Virgil?’</p>
<p>Virgil sighed. ‘I better call base.’</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Searching</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Some unpleasant news is uncovered</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The next three days passed as a blur for the Tracy family. Missing the two oldest brothers, the remaining brothers felt rudderless, lost. Their father and grandma were not faring much better.</p><p>Virgil had spent hours searching the site, waiting for Tin-Tin and Brains to arrive in Tin-Tin’s jet. There had been no sign. Nothing had been disturbed on One, no indications of a struggle in the rubble of the end the two were working, no sign of his brothers at all. </p><p>It was as if they had vanished. The trackers in their watches were not giving off a signal either. Brains had gone up to Five with Braman to try and boost the signals, allowing Alan to return home and help his family.</p><p>Just because they were two down didn’t mean rescues stopped. At first Jeff had said no, no more while they were two down, but one of the rescues was one that only International Rescue could attend, and lives were at stake. Gordon was out of the running, the concussion playing havoc with his head, so it was Virgil who persuaded their father to let him and Alan go.</p><p>Three days turned to a week.</p><p>No news, no demands, no anything.</p><p>One of the first things Jeff had done was to set Lady Penelope, and indeed all their agents worldwide, on the task of working out what was going on. So far there had been no news, no results. Jeff had been hopeful that Penny’s chauffeur-come-bodyguard Parker would be able to find something from his old acquaintances. </p><p>As if they had a psychic link, at that precise moment Lady Penelope’s portrait began to flash. ‘Penny, please tell me you have news!’ Jeff began, too stressed for niceties. Penelope showed a small smile. ‘Jeff, darling. I wish I had good news.’ Jeff sat down heavily behind his desk. ‘Please, Penny,’ he asked, gesturing her to continue.</p><p>‘In the last five days there have been three highly sensitive thefts. Parker’s contacts have been talking about a new crew on the block. All three thefts have been characterised by the breaking through top of the range security systems in a matter of seconds, and by the muscle sent in to retrieve the items stolen. Descriptions have been sketchy, Jeff, but they all talk about a tall blond computer genius and a dark-haired, military-trained retrieval expert. The third member has been identified as a certain Mr Stutt.’</p><p>Jeff paled. He knew who Mr Stutt was, hell, they all did. Penny offered another small smile. ‘I’m sorry Jeff, I really am. Parker and I are working hard to get a lead on what their – his – next target is going to be. So far he’s stolen the plans for a new and improved Stingray sub, some plans for a new direction for SPECTRUM and the third, as far as we are aware, was a theft of diamonds.’ Placing his head into his hands, Jeff groaned. </p><p>Not only were his eldest two in the clutches of their biggest enemy, he seemed to have brainwashed them both.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Found</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>With the Penny's news plans have been made...but even these can go astray.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Another two days passed before Lady Penelope contacted Jeff again. This time she looked positively excited to the head of International Rescue, and immediately he began to feel hope for the first time in over a week.</p><p>‘Tell me,’ he demanded. Penny raised an eyebrow, but continued, allowing that the man’s distress was causing him to lose his manners. ‘We finally have a connection between the three thefts, and we believe that there will be one final theft tomorrow night. Our sources have determined that the final theft will occur at the house of your old friend, Tim Casey. It appears he is to host a secret meeting and plans will be there regarding the changing of command in both the World Government and in SPECTRUM.’</p><p>Jeff frowned as he thought. He’d heard rumours that there was to be a split made between the two organisations, and he could only imagine that the Hood was after any plans to sell to the highest bidder, as he had twice tried to steal and sell nuclear secrets in the past. He looked back to Penelope. ‘We need to be at that meeting. Any ideas at all, Penny?’ She smiled. ‘As a matter of fact, the World President has voiced concerns regarding the security of the meeting and has just rearranged the meeting to be held at Creighton House.’ Jeff smiled back. ‘Penny, you never cease to amaze me.’</p><p>What worried Jeff, however, was that this was sounding like this was to be the last job.<br/>What would happen to his sons after that?</p><p>He shook himself. He needed to act, and act soon, if he was to have any hope of getting his family back together again. He called Virgil and Alan to the office. They had planning to do.</p><p>Two days later and the secret meeting was in progress. Virgil and Alan were present as part of the security detail, having stashed Two in her customary barn. The Creighton-Ward Estate had extensive grounds, and they were patrolling separately, with Brains up on Five keeping an eye on things.</p><p>When the commotion occurred Alan was farther from the house and near the wooded area and was told to stay put, while Virgil, being nearer the house, rushed in. Inside was chaos, and he frantically searched for Penelope, worried for her as he was. He found her in the meeting room, on the floor and holding her head, as everyone else was. The plans – the plans appeared to have disappeared, along with any trace, of Scott and John.</p><p>Alan was on high alert. Which was a good job, because he became aware of someone, or something, rushing through the undergrowth not that far from them. Whoever they were, they were heading for the wood, where Alan knew there was a large clearing. He could cut across and beat them there, so he set of at a run, informing base of what he was doing.</p><p>He didn’t quite beat them to the clearing. Alan skidded in at the same time Scott and John ran in from the other side. The three men stopped just short of each other. Then the fourth man entered.</p><p>‘Oh, well, now. This makes things much more interesting,’ he exclaimed, breaking out into a huge grin.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Fight</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Alan could be in trouble here...Scott and John certainly are!</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The Hood grinned. He had not planned for this, and usually that would have thrown him completely, but a plan had been forming for a couple of days now that would be just perfect now he had an audience.</p><p>‘How nice of you to join us, young man,’ he said, smiling. Alan frowned, trying hard to ignore him and concentrate on his brothers. Neither man had shown any recognition of him, both standing just out of reach.</p><p>‘Scott, John,’ he tried, taking a step forward. ‘It’s me. Please, guys, it’s me.’ But as Alan took a step forward Scott took a step forward too, and John stepped back to the Hood’s side. Alan didn’t like the look on Scott’s face. It was completely devoid of emotion or recognition, and he remembered his father saying that Scott was the muscle. Alan took a step, as if to sidestep Scott, but his brother mirrored him without getting any closer.</p><p>The Hood clapped his hands, apparently delighted at the action. Scott stood to attention at the noise. ‘Bring him,’ was all that was said, and suddenly Alan was within his eldest brother’s grasp and being hauled over to the man responsible for all this. Maybe that would actually mean he’d be able to do something.</p><p>Scott dumped him on the ground by the Hood’s feet then returned to standing to attention. The Hood took a step away from Alan, a gun suddenly in his hand and pointed at the youngster. But it was the eldest brothers he addressed. ‘You, over there,’ he gestured to John, and his brother obediently crossed the clearing to stand alone on their left. ‘And you, over there,’ the Hood gestured to Scott, who followed suit and stood opposite John.</p><p>He glanced at Alan. ‘It’s nice to have an audience for this part. I’d planned this all out; and having you here to witness it is the icing on the cake.’ He turned to the two men facing each other. ‘My friends, you have served me very well, and I thank you for your help.’ Neither men gave any indication of hearing or understanding what was being said.</p><p>‘Going forward, I find that I no longer need both your services. Yet you both bring something unique to the table, so I have been debating how to sort out who to keep and who to get rid off. So, I’ve decided to let you fight it out between you to see who stays and who, well, who doesn’t.’ He grinned at Alan.</p><p>‘Fight. Fight until only one of you is standing.’ Alan inhaled sharply in horror, watching helplessly as Scott and John began to circle each other. He wouldn’t like to bet on the outcome. Scott might be the one most used to fighting between the two brothers, but John was no slouch either, and he was wiry and fast on his feet. Alan reckoned that as long as John stayed out of the range of Scott’s fists he would be ok.</p><p>He risked a glance at the Hood. The man was perspiring heavily, but he was unwaveringly holding the gun on him, so Alan played it safe. At least he could keep watch on them.</p><p>They continued to circle, until Scott suddenly rushed John, who attempted to feign a dart one way while moving the other. It didn’t work, and John was on the floor, gasping as Scott slowly tightened his arm around his brother’s neck.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Recognition</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Alan's given a chance to rescue Scott and John...only, will they recognise him?</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>John didn’t waste any time by grabbing Scott’s arm. Instead, he made a fist and sharply pulled his elbow back into Scott’s side. At almost the same time he stamped down on Scott’s foot, then threw his other elbow back into Scott’s face. The combination got him free as Scott’s hold loosened enough.</p><p>He spun on his heel and drove both fists into Scott’s stomach, and Scott was on the floor, John kneeling on top of him, and this time it was John’s turn to be the one strangling a brother. Again it didn’t last long, as Scott punched him in the face. Both men rolled apart and struggled back to their feet, circling each other again.</p><p>Alan shot to his feet, despite the clicking off of the safety, desperate to stop his brothers killing each other. ‘Do you think you can break my hold over them, young Alan?’ the Hood sneered. ‘Be my guest and try. I tell you what, why don’t I give you even more incentive. If you can break my hold over them I’ll let them and you live. If you can’t, you can choose which one I’ll keep and which one will die after they kill you.’ He motioned with the gun for Alan to move into the fray.</p><p>He paused a moment, as the implication of the Hood’s proposal sank in. Scott and John were still circling each other, and as Alan stepped into the ring the two stopped moving, standing there just watching him. Alan took a deep breath to steady his nerves. His brothers were still there, he just needed to get through to them.</p><p>‘Scott, John, it’s me, Alan. Come on, man, don’t you know me? Recognise me?’ Nothing. No inkling of any remembrance at all. How was he going to achieve this? A thought flared. It’s not as if the Hood didn’t already know how they were…</p><p>‘John Glen Tracy, you have been my inspiration for the whole of my life, the reason I wanted to become an astronaut. I have spent so many nights huddled up in a blanket with you, staring at the stars in wonder while you have explained the constellations and planets to me.’ Alan was rewarded by a flicker of recognition, but it didn’t last long.</p><p>‘Scott Carpenter Tracy, you are my hero, the man I most look up to and admire. Your devotion to us, to me, to your family has been my model to follow, and I can never thank you enough for caring for me when, when our mother died. You did everything for me, and I will never be able to repay that.’ As before, there was the hint of something, but then it was gone again.</p><p>Both men started advancing on Alan, and he took an involuntary step back. He was at a loss, he had been so sure that reminding them of who his was would work, but now…there was only one more thing on his mind that would work, but he hadn’t used it in years so was unsure of the result. It wasn’t like he had any other choice…</p><p>Suddenly Alan let forth a loud sniff and cried out in a loud voice: ‘Scott! John! I Need You!’ it had always worked for him as a youngster, so he hoped it would work now.</p><p>There was no response from either brother, and as John reached him first and held his arms tightly and Scott approached, Alan closed his eyes and whispered, ‘I love you guys.’</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Resolution</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Alan's in trouble...will a brother saves the day?</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Alan held his breath and kept his eyes screwed up tight. Nothing happened. John was still holding his arms, but…nothing. He risked opening one eye, and Scott was standing immediately in front of him, frowning. Alan could have hugged his brother! It was the first emotion Alan had seen all evening.</p><p>‘Well, why haven’t you finished him off yet?’ he asked Scott. Scott turned and looked blankly at him. Alan thought he should risk a little by saying, ‘you told them I would have to choose which one you would keep and which one would die. I imaging they are waiting according to your instructions.’ </p><p>The Hood laughed. ‘Giving up already, Alan? Not very much like your brothers then, are you? Well, then, you man, you had better choose before I change my mind.’ John turned Alan slightly so that all three brothers were now facing the criminal, and they marched closer to him until they were just in front.</p><p>‘Chosen yet?’ he smirked? Alan smiled. Then the smile broke out into a huge grin. The Hood frowned and trained the gun on him. ‘I’ve chosen,’ he simply said. ‘Well?’ came the demand. </p><p>Suddenly the Hood collapsed on the floor with a sigh. John let go of Alan’s arms, and he found himself enveloped in a three-way hug. Virgil put away the gun he had just fired and joined in.</p><p>It was Scott that broke them apart, giving Alan another tight hug. ‘Thank you, Alan. You have no idea what that was like, to be under his spell yet knowing you needed to break free and were unable to do anything.’</p><p>John nodded, taking his turn to hug his baby brother. ‘If you hadn’t have reminded us who we were, I don’t know how much damage we would have done to each other.’ He rubbed his jaw while Scott looked sheepishly at the ground.</p><p>Al drew Virgil in. ‘Well done, bro. Nothing would have worked out if you hadn’t have crept up so silently and shot him.’ They all laughed, and Virgil responded with a back slap. ‘If you hadn’t had kept him occupied I may not have succeeded.’</p><p>Scott went over to the Hood, knowing that the tranquilisers International Rescue used would take a few hours to wear off. He rummaged in the man’s pockets and withdrew a document wallet containing everything they had helped him steal.</p><p>‘Thank goodness the man is paranoid and kept them all together, or we would really be in trouble!’ he said, handing the file over to Virgil. ‘I think John and I should disappear while you hand both the Hood and the documents over. I assume that Two is in her usual hanger?’</p><p>Virgil nodded and the two men set off while Virgil picked up the Hood and the two returned to the manor house to hand them over. The representative of the world government was very happy to get everything back in tact.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Home</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>With all the boys now home, a chat.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Jeff looked on as his youngest two sons tried enticing his oldest three into the pool. He sighed contentedly, watching his children just having fun. Kyrano offered him a drink, and he murmured a thank you. He couldn’t seem to tear his eyes away from the hectic scene before him.</p><p>In the end they managed to persuade Virgil and John to join them, and a spirited game of volleyball ensued in the pool. Scott didn’t hang around though, and Jeff frowned as his eldest disappeared indoors.</p><p>It was becoming a habit, Scott disappearing rather than spend time with his brothers, one that Jeff was beginning to worry about. His eldest had always been overprotective of his siblings, yet now he seemed to be withdrawing from them.</p><p>Maybe it was time Jeff had a chat about the events over the last few days. He’d put it off as both boys seemed to be just fine being back home, although if he was honest with himself it had come as no surprise that there were some lingering issues. Alan had pretty well summed up what had happened, and both Scott and John had been really upset at what they had been made to do, especially to each other.</p><p>Wandering indoors, he found Scott sitting at the piano, a rare occurrence these days, even if his son could play well he rarely did, preferring to listen to Virgil. Scott wasn’t playing though, he was just sitting there, staring into space.</p><p>‘Penny for your thoughts, son,’ Jeff said, and was a little surprised to see Scott jump. It was virtually impossible to sneak up on his eldest, much to Gordon’s chagrin. Scott swivelled around to face his father and offered a weak grin.</p><p>‘I keep thinking about what happened and wondering if I could have done something more to stop it.’ Jeff nodded in understanding. He had been over everything with Brains, but there seemed little ability to block someone who could make a person do what they wanted, to mind-control them, and the only thing they had come up with was to keep him in jail. He sat next to Scott and laid a hand on his arm.</p><p>‘Son, we can only prepare for certain things, and there will always be things that we can neither understand nor prepare for. You did the best you could under the circumstances you were in. No-one thinks any less of you or John for being in that position.’ Scott sighed. ‘But I hurt John, I could have killed him, or Alan.’ </p><p>Jeff squeezed his arm. ‘You could have but you didn’t. Alan said the two of you tried but not very hard. We know what kind of training you’ve had, even subconsciously you were trying to stop what was happening. John feels the same, by the way. You may not have been in full control, but you were fighting, Scott, fighting to be free and to stop what was going on.’</p><p>Scott sighed again. ‘I guess you’re right, Father.’ Jeff nodded. ‘Of course I’m right. I’m your father.’ This elicited the desired laugh, and with a grin on his face Scott returned to his brothers. Jeff smiled to himself. It was good having everyone under one roof again, almost back to normal. It wouldn’t take long, not with the support of their brothers.</p>
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